Ashford Country Spinner 2

For years I have been a fan of art yarn but never thought I could take up spinning because of my allergies to air-borne particulates.  At some point, we all have to decide how much we want to follow a dream, then think, think, and think some more of ways to make it possible.  A few months ago, in a great Storming Of The Brain, I realized that the simplest of solutions would be to take the spinning wheel outside and spin on the patio or on the walk just beyond the studio door.  I have bags (b-i-g bags) of roving, shelves of yarn for core spinning, and assorted boxes and drawers of throwster's waste, beads, chips of interesting fiber and embroidery thread snips, Angelina fibers . . .  Spinning would seem to be a way to combine all the lovelies in the studio in one interesting form, with the bonus of having Mother Nature sweep up after me!  Isn't simplicity always the best way?

Of course, this wheel would have to be an art-yarn-specific because the chunky, lumpy results of all this enthusiasm need to be accommodated by an especially large orifice.  After reading about different wheels, talking to spinners and watching videos of the process on different wheels, I settled on the Ashford Country Spinner 2 wheel.

The large, flat box of parts arrived, and Ethan was at least as excited as I.  As it was unfinished, he and I first set about rubbing Tung Oil over the lovely wood pieces.  We had practiced learning the names of the parts of the wheel, and he handled the pieces with great reverence, reminding me of the names of the pieces as we worked.  When it came time to assemble these parts, I started Saturday morning, and Ethan and his dad came after lunch to help with the difficult part-- getting the drive shaft through the hub of the wheel and hanging it in place.  Ethan screwed the treadle hinges in place, and stood back to admire his work.

Saturday evening and Sunday I spent trying out different techniques, realizing immediately that plying and drafting are the two things I most need to learn for making sturdy, interesting yarn.  I've read book after book, watched hours of You Tube demonstrations, but when I sit at the wheel, it all comes down to manual dexterity and control.  My first yarn was an exercise in knowing what I didn't know, but after I'd soaked it in hot water to set the twist and the wool slightly felted, the ideas for using this yarn started popping up.  I'll post pictures of the yarn along the way and you can laugh with me at the results.